Committee asks council to seek 'Safe Routes' funds

ALAN FROMAN, ThisWeek Community News

Tuesday

Feb 28, 2012 at 12:01 AMFeb 29, 2012 at 5:05 PM

Grandview Heights City Council's safety committee voted Feb. 22 to recommend council adopt resolutions authorizing the city to apply for funds for projects related to the community's Safe Routes to School effort.

Grandview Heights City Council's safety committee voted Feb. 22 to recommend council adopt resolutions authorizing the city to apply for funds for projects related to the community's Safe Routes to School effort.

The proposed infrastructure improvements and non-infrastructure programs are part of the travel plan the local Safe Routes group has completed as part of the application process.

Safe Routes is a national effort to encourage more children to walk or bike to school.

A travel plan was needed before the city could apply for the federal funds.

The application deadline is March 2. The resolutions will be included in the application package with the understanding that council will vote on the measures at its March 5 meeting.

The funds the city would apply for would reimburse Grandview for 100 percent of the costs associated with the projects, said Patrik Bowman, director of administration/economic development.

The infrastructure projects included in the plan were ranked in order of priority.

The projects were selected for the plan based on the number of students who would be affected by the improvement and/or the importance of the safety issue that would be addressed, safety committee chair Ed Hastie said.

The projects include placing sidewalks, installing or improving crosswalks and installing flashing beacons and school zone signs in locations near Stevenson Elementary and Edison Intermediate/Middle School.

Bike racks would also be installed at Edison and Stevenson schools.

The infrastructure projects listed in the plan have a total estimated cost of just under $300,000.

The city could apply for up to $500,000 for infrastructure projects.

Grandview is also eligible to apply for up to $100,000 for non-infrastructure projects and programs for the Safe Routes effort.

A estimation of the total cost of the non-infrastructure programs might not be completed this week, said Tony Lococo, who is heading up the local Safe Routes program.

The application will include requests for funding for educational programs and awards and other inducements to encourage students to walk and bike to school.

The Grandview Heights Division of Police and Grandview Heights City School District would oversee most of the non-infrastructure programs.

Lococo said his group met with building principals and Superintendent Ed O'Reilly to get their input on developing the list of projects.

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